


More than Legends

by Maria_333PH



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Broken Engagement, Character Death, Demons, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gay Male Character, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lesbian Character, M/M, Magic, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Memory Alteration, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Mind Manipulation, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Plot Twists, Rare Pairings, Rating May Change, Rituals, Sibling Incest, Slow Build, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, True Mates, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2020-04-12 14:37:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19134070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_333PH/pseuds/Maria_333PH
Summary: Legend says that the terrible, merciless demons retreated in the wake of The Hunters. That they have finally realized it was better to leave us be. The Hunters had liberated us from the tyranny with which we suffered under the demons’ thrall.Now, why don't you sit down and let me tell you the story of the Demon Lord and his Bonded? I promise, it will be far more informative than the legends.





	1. Fons Viribus

**Author's Note:**

> Fons Viribus - Latin phrase meaning: a source of strength
> 
> According to
> 
> https://translate.yandex.com/?lang=la-en&text=fons%20viribus

Arthur was the fourth child of Lord Allan Kirkland and Lady Ciara. He had the means to gain anything he wanted. His parents loved and cared about him and his siblings. His brothers never stopped teaching him and his sister how to fight.

Cenric Frazier, the leader of their village, was a fortnight older than Arthur. Thirteen summers ago, when Arthur was six, Cenric, with all the conviction of a child, had declared that they would spend the rest of their lives together. After the declaration, the people decided to keep Arthur away from the influence of demons. 

“Hey, get back here you little-!” 

“If you don't want the boss to stick you in a cage with  _ those…” _

“… then don't call his lover degrading names!”

“You don't think I know that?!”

Arthur ignored the voices and the words being exchanged. He gave a quiet sigh, not wanting them to know where he was. He certainly did not  _ need _ protection. Kirkland hunters were capable of fending for themselves, thank you very much! So he stayed there, crouched behind one of the many crates in their supply tent, until the voices stopped and he heard the sound of feet walking away. 

He counted to ten before very slowly peeking out, green eyes looking around for signs of anyone. Once he was sure there was no one around, he stood up, brushing the dust off of his brown pants. He held his companion closer to his chest, not minding how his light green tunic had folds due to his actions. 

“Well, Hilde. Let's go see the demon, shall we?” He asked the blue eyed white rabbit in his arms. The animal licked the fingers petting her head, a silent agreement to her human's question.

He had found her in the woods roughly one summer ago. She was so small and injured, caught in a jagged trap for demons. He had taken her home and cared for her, firmly ignoring his parents and siblings who seemed to think  _ she _ was a  _ demon _ . It was such a silly idea, really. He had checked before even getting her out of the trap. 

_ ‘Just how naive do they think I am? Really.’ _ he had thought at the time. He wondered sometimes, though, if his family was right about Hilde. He swore she could understand him. He just didn't know how…

Arthur moved, skillfully and quietly, through the tents and cottages in their village until he reached the caverns on the northern border. It housed demons that the hunters had captured.  _ ‘Now, if we could just find out how to keep them dead for good…’  _ he thought before stepping inside. 

The caverns were designed as any dungeon would be. However, since the demons had magic, the walls and bars were layered with a lot of anti-magic charms.

A supposedly powerful demon had been caught two days ago, and Arthur wanted to see if he could get it to fight for them. He was prepared to see a creature of such hideousness it might cause nightmares, so he placed Hilde on the ground, by the entrance, and gestured for her to stay. The rabbit tilted her head a bit. Arthur took it as a sign of agreement and nodded, himself, before continuing into the caverns.

Twenty more steps later, he stood facing the cell of the powerful demon. Suddenly, doubts and fears clouded his mind.  _ ‘What if this demon lies, as any demon does? What if he harms my family? What if he eats Hilde?’ _ He breathed in a gulp of air, feeling like he was drowning, even for just a second. He shook his head, strands of blond hair following the motion, before glaring at the cell.

“Hey! I wish to have a word with you!” He shouted, aware that other demons could hear him and that this demon might very well not answer. “I know you can hear and understand me!” He turned around after two minutes of shouting, feeling exasperated. Hilde was giving him a look that seemed to ask 'are you done yet?’ 

“Why don't  **_you_ ** try, then?” He asked before deflating.  _ 'Rabbits don't talk, silly.’  _ He thought to himself. “Looks like we have our work cut out for us, eh, doll?” he asked her after a beat of silence. Green eyes looked up to the ceiling before he turned around, facing the cell once more, he stepped back in shock. 

A pair of reddish dark brown eyes watched him with all the weariness of a cornered, injured creature. 

_ ‘I thought this was an all powerful demon?! He looks just as the rest of them do!’  _ he screamed in his mind as he took in the form of the demon before him. 

The thing looked like a man, no older than Arthur, himself. It had slightly tanned skin and wore what appeared to be silk robes. It's brown hair was messy, there was even a stray strand curling to the right. Black, bird-like wings protruded from it's back, stretched halfway, as if it were about to pounce.

The demon looked over Arthur's shoulder before glaring at him. His breath hitched as a thought entered his mind. ‘ _ Does he want Hilde?’  _ he wondered, already regretting bringing her here. “You won't have her!” He warned it, eyes narrowing at its stance. 

“How dare you!” A voice seemed to echo in the caverns, filled with what might be anger. It took a while for Arthur to realize that the demon  **_spoke._ **

It wasn't a series of shrieks, like Cenric, his family and everyone else claimed. No. It spoke with words he understood and it sounded much like a man. A very angry man. Arthur recoiled a bit, partly out of fear but mostly out of shock. He had not known any demon who could talk, not in ten summers of sneaking into these caverns.

“End whatever charm you have on her, this instant!” 

Arthur glared at it again. How dare this demon accuse  **_him_ ** of any sort of manipulation?! The nerve of…!

_ ‘Please don't be mad,  _ **_Fons Viribus.’_ **

Arthur almost jumped out of his skin when he noticed Hilde hopping up to the cell. “I told you to stay by the entrance, Hilde! It's not safe for you to be here!” he sounded worried and exasperated, scrambling to get the rabbit into his hold. The demon seemed to have forgotten him, with the way it was snarling at the fluffy animal. __

_ ‘He rescued and healed me. Even now, he protects me.’ _

_ ‘And does he know of what you are?’ _

Hilde did not reply, choosing to nibble at her human's fingers rather than face the facts. Arthur still glared at the demon, which seemed to be eating the rabbit with its eyes. “I want to know what it would take for you to fight on our side!” Arthur declared with all the conviction he could muster. 

The demon scoffed at his words. “You humans are something else.” It spoke with a dulcet voice, glaring at Arthur again. “You think the world is black and white? That we are always evil and you, never?” it spoke as though Arthur was ignorant of the ways of the world. “You believe there is something that a  **_mortal_ ** like you could give  **_me_ ** for my loyalty? Hah!” 

Arthur hated the fact that he was definitely being belittled. And by a  **_demon_ ** no less!

“I'll let you free, but only if you swear fealty to our side!” 

The demon hummed.  _ ‘This is what you choose? Such betrayal is unbecoming of you!’  _ Hilde tensed in Arthur's arms, causing the young man to take a few steps away from the cell. “Unlike you humans, we have dignity and loyalty to our own kin!” it hissed. Arthur bristled at the jab. “Demons have no morals!”

“Oh? And you humans have a lot of it, do you?”

“Of course we do!”

The demon just stared at him after the words left his mouth. It gave a low chuckle before turning around and disappearing from sight. Arthur ground his teeth, glaring at the darkness beyond the lit torches. “Come on, Hilde.” He told the rabbit. “We'll not return here again!”

The rabbit might have rolled her eyes. Sometimes, her human was so contradictory when it comes to his words and actions. Something told her they would be returning to the caverns. She hoped she could help forge an alliance between these two, if only to lessen the conflict by two people…

***

“Blast it!” Arthur cursed under his breath. It hasn't even been a fortnight yet here he was  **_again_ ** , at the entrance to the caverns. In the same clothes he wore on the day he met The Demon. “Why am I even bothering with this, Hilde?” The rabbit, of course, did not answer. 

“It's not like I'm helping anyone… and the demon probably won't ever help us…” he sighed. It wasn't long before he was standing in front of the cell, once more. “Hey!” He didn't know if the demon would even appear to face him this time. The sound of wing beats reached his ears. 

_ ‘Why does it bother flying if the ceiling is so low?’  _ he wondered as the demon landed in front him. “Back again, are you?” It sounded bored, and it's eyes were no longer tinged with red. No. Instead, they had a slightly beautiful brown hue that almost took Arthur's breath away. 

**Almost** .

“I have questions. And you have answers.” Arthur began, cautious of how the demon might react. It seemed to not take any interest in Arthur's plight. “I want to know if you really need to fly or not? The ceiling is pretty low, you realize?” 

“If you were to not move your arms for a long period of time, would they not feel stiff?” It answered back with a question of its own. Arthur opened his mouth to rebuke the not-answer, but he recalled the day he kept his arm in one single pose for a long time until it started to hurt.

**_‘Fons Viribus_ ** _. If you two would introduce yourselves, perhaps it could help lessen this tension in the air?’ _

Arthur tightened his hold on Hilde when the demon began glaring at her.

_ ‘Be quiet. I still see no reason for you to not take advantage and give our kin the information that could change the tide of this war.’ _

Hilde seemed to hide her face in Arthur's arms and the demon had an annoyed look on its face. Arthur couldn't help but feel like he was missing something…

“If you will keep returning with questions, then perhaps you would not mind an introduction?” It said in a way that was very similar to how one would ask for a meal. Arthur was surprised that it wanted to know his name, then he remembered that giving a demon your name was like signing some sort of deal with it. “I've no need for whatever moniker you may have, demon.”

_ ‘You see how  _ **_lovely_ ** _ your chosen ally is?’ _

Hilde did not move from her position, head hidden in Arthur's arms, but she looked to be groaning. If rabbits could groan, that is. Arthur wasn't sure why, though. The demon was staring at him,  _ not _ her. “My kin have called me  _ Fons Viribus  _ quite a few times.” It announced in a monotone voice.

Arthur's glare hardened at the bored expression it wore. “Come on, girl.” He told the rabbit. “It's almost lunch time.” With one last glare at the demon, Arthur left the caverns. He thought of the name the demon gave him.  _ Fons Viribus _ sounded more like a title, in his opinion.


	2. Picnic and Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed a bit at the end there, Seamus is his cousin here... Sorry about the confusion, guys...

The Kirkland Manor was enclosed by a brick fence with a large, tall gate made of mahogany wood. It stood near the center of the village, close to the Frazier Manor. A brown haired man stood by the entrance, greeting Arthur with a smile. “There you are, my love! Had fun exploring?” the man's blue eyes shone with delight at seeing Arthur. 

“Hilde and I had a lovely, peaceful walk, Cen.” he replied, beaming at the man. “Have you finished your patrols?” 

Cenric chuckled at the blond's expression. “Yes, yes. All done with morning patrol, teacup.” he winked at Arthur, chuckling at the inspiration shining in the emerald green eyes of his betrothed. Arthur blushed at the blatant flirting the soon to be Village Head showered him with. 

“Come on, then.” Cenric straightened his Royal tunic. Arthur looked at him, confusion written on his face. “We've a picnic to get to!” Was the only explanation the blue eyed man gave his betrothed.

“Oh? Where?”

“Now, that would be telling, darling~” Cenric found Arthur's pouting face to absolutely adorable, as always. He wanted time to hurry up so he could finally have his beloved in bed with him.

-_-_-_-_-

_“Wait! I thought they were already together?”_

_“They were promised, right?”_

_“That's right. But Arthur had to be twenty one before they could consummate the Bond.”_

_“Oh.”_

_“Anyhow…”_

-_-_-_-_-

The picnic was set up in the Kirkland Family's garden. 

There were two large, blue and red picnic blankets where Arthur's older sister and their mother were relaxing. Even when braided, his sister's dark red hair easily reached the middle of her back. His mother, on the other hand, had her light blond hair freely flowing down, the ends slightly fanning out behind her.

Arthur went to them with a greeting, letting Hilde go and relax by herself. She usually stays within their vicinity, so he wasn't worried too much. "Good afternoon, my ladies," he said with a slight bow, one hand placed on his chest. His mother sighed at his antics while his sister went along with his greeting. 

"It is indeed a good afternoon, lovely gentleman." She replied, standing up. She held the skirt of her light blue gown in her hands as she curtsied. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Her deep green eyes were alight with mischief as she shared a look with Arthur.

"Eileen," their mother chastised, "don't treat your brother that way." She pretended to dust off the sleeve of her violet blue dress before giving the pair a stern look. "I do apologise, Cenric." She turned to look at the man engaged to her son, green eyes dark with regret. "I do not know why they act so improper at times."

"Oh, no worries, ma'am." Cenric replied with a smile pointed at Arthur. "I must admit, the informality plays a role in my falling for your son." He blew Arthur a kiss, smirking in delight at the flushed look on the blonde. 

 _His family wears such regal clothes, as befitting of nobles who shall be my in-laws._ He smirked in satisfaction at the thought. _Soon, I can finally have you all to myself._ He became slightly impatient, as he saw Arthur's cousin giving the blond a hug. 

Seamus stood a few inches taller than Arthur and made it a habit to ruffle his cousin's hair as frequently as possible. Arthur wished he could retaliate, but he always ended up just combing his fingers through the slightly older man's light blond hair. Like at that very moment, for example.

Seamus's green eyes were alight with mischief as Arthur scowled at him, though it appeared more like a pout. The thought made him laugh. "You look like a child, cousin dearest!" He exclaimed with a playful tone. Just after he said this, he was pulled away from Arthur.

Alistor, oldest of the Kirkland siblings, stood behind Seamus, pulling him from his brother. His hand held on tightly to the collar of his cousin's sea green tunic. "Stop harassing my baby brother, Seamus." Although he was seemingly chastising the man, Alistor wore a playful smirk. His green eyes shone with a smug light as Arthur glowered at him.

Arthur huffed. "You're lucky I can't turn you into the same shade as your crimson hair, bloody bastard." He said, tempted to just throw mud at his brother's deep blue tunic. He glared at them both before turning to walk towards his other brother who stood beneath the large Royal Poinciana tree behind Alistor.

**_Royal Poinciana Tree_ **

"I'm ever so grateful for your undying support and help, Will." He said with heavy sarcasm. William just shrugged at him, green eyes locked on Cenric, who was conversing with their mother. "I know you can handle them, Arthur." He replied, dusting his brown tunic. "I believe your _bethrothed_ is asking for you, brother."

"You needn't say ' _bethrothed'_ with such venom, Will." Arthur said with a sigh. "If you don't like him, can't you at least trust me and our parents?" He asked before leaving Willam under the shade of their large tree.

William shook his head, blond hair fluttering with his movement. "I don't like the fact that he seems to be taking all your attention… or the fact that his words somehow mean the world to you..." he whispered as he watched his brother walk into Cenric's arms.

He could not deny the rather strong annoyance at the gesture and what it would mean in two years.

"Am I the only one who has been wary since that day, thirteen summers ago…?" He asked softly, the wind carrying his question to the heavens above. He felt a warm hand on his soldier. "You're not the only one, Will." Seamus answered in an equally quiet voice. 

Alistor was standing close to the picnic blanket, glaring at Cenric as the soon-to-be village head held Arthur close to himself. _How is it that no one else sees the truth here…?_ He thought. _Are we being paranoid? Mother and father don't seem to have a problem with Cenric… neither does Eileen..._

***

The next day, Arthur found himself in the caverns once again. Hilde was left at the entrance, but she eventually hopped over to where he stood. " _Fons!"_ He shouted, though he was still pretty certain it wasn't an actual name. He heard the sound of beating wings and within a few seconds, the demon stood before him.

The last two times, Arthur had not been paying close attention to the demon's appearance. He only really registered the fact that the demon looked like a man with wings. Now, though, being somewhat calm in the presence of the being, he could easily tell that the demon in front of him had tanned skin and evenly toned muscles. 

Compared to Arthur, whose skin was of a fair complexion and whose muscles appeared to have decided against growing through vigorous training and instead gave him a slightly petite body shape, well…

If rabbits could giggle, Hilde might have had a hard time stopping the sounds. As it stood, she could not stop her mental chuckles as Arthur's cheeks gained a light pink hue. _Fons Viribus_ was definitely glaring at her, now. She did not mind, though. 

"Another question for me, hmm?" The demon's greeting sounded more like an annoyed announcement. His wings worked to keep him slightly off the ground, but that meant his neck and shoulders were tilted forward, just that little bit.

"Yes." Arthur answered with a determined look once his light blush had subsided. He had been surprised, you see, and was unable to hold back the reaction. "Why is it that sometimes curses can affect you but sometimes they are so utterly useless against you?"

The demon clicked its tongue. "Do you still think I would give away such information? How foolish you are." It replied. "Instead of such questions, can you not think of things that are less likely to put my fellow demon's and your fellow humans in danger?" It asked.

Arthur racked his brain for such questions until one came to mind. " _Fons Viribus_ … it is a title, correct?" He asked, head tilted to the side. "What's your real name?" _Perhaps, if I could get that much, we could change the tide of this war…_

"How rude." The demon announced. "You ask for my name, yet you still have not given your own, even though I asked for it?" It was more a demand than a question. Although, it had to admit, the young Hunter looked quite adorable with his head tilted and his face holding a rather intellectual look.

Arthur stayed silent for a moment, debating whether he should give his name or not. So far, the information given to him about demons appeared to be false, but he did not want to tempt fate, yet, so he left the subject unsolved for the moment.

"Alright, then… why do you always seem to want to eat my rabbit?!" He asked with a protective hold over Hilde, who had jumped into his welcoming arms in order to comfort him.

The demon gave him a blank stare for a while before **_laughing_ **.

The nerve of…!

"Eat your rabbit?! I do not eat rabbits!" It said in between bursts of laughter. "Good grief! If only my friends could hear you right now!" The demon had landed on the floor now, sitting with its knees bent upwards and its hands placed slightly behind it. The demon's head was tilted back a bit, with its eyes closed and its body shaking. It was **_still_ ** laughing. 

In fact, the sound was louder than before, and the demon seemed to be enjoying itself a bit too much…

"What **_do_ **you eat, then? Souls?!" Arthur asked only to receive even more boisterous laughter. "What do they teach you young Hunters?!" Its laughter seemed to be calming down now, the demon's breaths came in shirt and quick gasps for a rather brief moment before it gave a long, deep sigh. 

"I eat what you eat, actually." It answered with a slightly humorous tone. 

Arthur didn't know how to react to that. He had been told that demons ate humans. Everyone was so sure of it. But wait, now that he thought about it… his brother, Seamus and his brothers, always seemed wary of the idea… 

But they were just three among almost five hundred people in their village. Tucked away in a small valley as they were, they rarely made any more than material trades with travelling merchants by the borders. Perhaps they were behind in this information…? 

But still, they would have caught wind of differences with other villages… right…?

Oh great, now his head was filled with contradicting questions and theories…

Looking outside, he could tell that it was almost midday. "Ah! I have training with my brothers soon." For some reason, he had felt the need to properly say goodbye for the day. The demon hummed at his statement. "What use is your training if they keep feeding you such nonsense ideas?" It asked.

That question burned in Arthur's mind for the rest of the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed a bit at the end there, Seamus is his cousin here... Sorry about the confusion, guys...


	3. Knowing Twins, Spells and Curses

Arthur had been unable to meet the demon for seven days. "You're turning twenty next summer, love! We have to prepare for that!" Cenric had told him on the first day. Arthur had only smiled at him, thoughts circling around the demon in the dungeons. 

He spent those seven days with Cenric. They went for picnics, rode horses through the forest, trained and shared their meals together - all without anyone else hovering around. Yet, somehow, he felt like he was missing something during those times. 

When Arthur next entered the caverns, Hilde tucked safely in his arms, he found two other Hunters already inside. The brothers, Im Yong-Soo and Im Hyung-Soo stood facing him, seemingly protecting two cells situated beside each other. Arthur could only blink, unsure of why they were in the caverns. He briefly wondered if there were other demons about, _Fons Viribus_ was the only one he had seen so far. 

The twins both wore red vests over white tunics.

Im Yong-Soo was a slightly pale looking man with an evenly toned body. He was half a foot taller than Arthur. Presently, his clothes were covered in mud. "You're the one who has been coming in, lately!" He shouted, brown eyes narrowed into a glare. His right hand held a dagger pointed towards Arthur. 

Though he and Yong looked like mirrors of each other, Im Hyung-Soo was more reserved than his brother. He rarely acted out in violent rage, but preferred a stealthy, less obvious sort of vengeance. He was also a few inches taller than his twin and had less defined muscles. He simply gave Arthur a cold look.

"Would you like me to cut your hair for you?" Arthur asked with a flat tone, one thick eyebrow raised in question. Yong stiffened before quickly trying to cover his dark brown hair, which reached just below his shoulders. "Just because my hair tie is undone?! Seriously, Arthur!?"

Hyung clicked his tongue at his brother's antics. "Here." He said, handing a reasonably sized piece of yarn to his twin. "You're lucky I decided to walk in like a normal person instead of sneaking about. Otherwise, you would have had to risk your hair to Arthur's great sword skills." 

Arthur rolled his eyes at them. "What are you two doing here? It's not your turn to guard the demons." Hilde had hopped out of his arms, by now. Somehow, he trusted the demon's claim of not eating rabbits and thus did not worry for his fluffy companion. He wasn't sure why he trusted the demon, though…

"N-nothing!" Yong exclaimed, suddenly tense. He slowly stepped back, towards the cell behind him. Hyung simply observed Arthur with a seemingly indifferent aura. "We just wanted to know who has been sneaking around lately!"

"In thirteen summers, this is the first time you've actually cared about my ' _sneaking around_ ', as far as I'm concerned." Arthur crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at the twins. "Don't tell me Cenric put you up to this…" he spoke with a sigh.

Yong pursed his lips, looking back and forth between the dark cell behind him and Arthur who stood in front of him. That is, until _Fons Viribus_ appeared from the shadows of its cell. The brunette gave them an imploring, yet bored look before deeply sighing.

"It's safe to come out, you two. He's a friend." 

Just like that, the cells (which appeared empty at the time), suddenly held one demon each. " _Diànxià_?" Asked the demon behind Hyung. "I thought you two did not get along…?" 

"You two have been talking?!" Yong exclaimed, shocked to the core. "But you don't even acknowledge me and Hyung...!!!" He started sniffling, tears were forming at the corners of his eyes. 

"Oh, don't cry, Yong. _Diànxià's_ always been this way, right~?" The demon in the other cell allowed the last word to fade off. It wore a teasing smile, Arthur was questioning its instincts. "Haha, I have never seen you this soft or understanding towards Hunter's before, my liege~" 

Arthur really wondered about the demon's survival instincts. Even knowing they could not use magic within these walls, they should still not provoke the stronger demon, right?

Speaking of strength, how strong were these two, compared to _Fons Viribus_ , anyway? The two looked like ordinary young men, for the most part. They both had fair, almost pale skin from what he could see. They did not have wings, but they had cat-like ears on their heads. They also had two cat tails each.

The demons had black hair and their dark brown eyes seemed to be dissecting Arthur's very soul. It was rather intimidating, if he were honest. However, Arthur was not a Hunter for nothing and he knew that he could rely on the twins if things ever blew up into a fight.

"Woah! Easy, Arthur!" Yong shouted, stepping between Arthur and the cell holding the short haired demon. "Leon! Everything is fine if Viri is okay with Artie, right?" He asked, apparently trying to placate both Arthur and the demon..

"You know its name?" Arthur asked curiously, head tilted to the side. "No ' _it_ ' or ' _its_ ' Arthur." Hyung warned with narrowed eyes before facing the demon behind him. He reached out and combed his fingers through its hair, which reached the middle of its back. 

Arthur blinked at Hyung. "Why not? They're demons, aren't they?"

Yong and Hyung exchanged a glance. 

"Well, seeing as you keep coming back here to chat with Viri, why don't we let you decide the answer to that question?" Yong nodded after saying this. "Hm! Good luck with Viri, Artie~" he added before turning towards the demon, ' _Leon_?' Arthur mouthed to himself, truly confused by all this.

"Here. We'll take care of Hilde for you." Hyung said as he went to pick up the rabbit, which sat in front of Fons Viribus. "We'll be outside so we can alert you if anyone is coming here. Come on, Yong." He added, taking his brother by the elbow and pulling him to the entrance of the cave.

"Well, this has been an interesting start to the day." Fons spoke with a satisfied smile. "I seem to have finally learned the name of my visitor." It spoke with a pleased look. Arthur tensed upon hearing the statement. He had been told about the " _sacrificial binding"_ demons did upon receiving one's name…

"There is no need to be tense, I won't be able to do anything with a name." The demon said with a huff. "I suppose, in return for your name, I shall give you mine." With a slight bow, the demon said, "My name is Feliciano, but you may simply call me Feli. Pleased to finally have this formal introduction, _Arthur_." It spoke with a melodious tone, lips stretched into a very pleased smile.

Arthur found the demon's eyes breathtaking at that moment, bright and sparkling as they were. He blushed faintly, unable to look away from the warm gaze and soft smile. _What am I doing?! Cenric and I love each other!_ He thought, searching for the will to look away. 

"Now that we have established our introductions, what questions do you have today?" It asked with a tilt of its head. Arthur felt his heart speed up in response. For some reason, he felt himself blush.

"I…"

"You wished to learn about curses, yes?" Feliciano sounded like a teacher humoring a student. "I can tell you about curses in general and about spells, if you still wish to learn."

Arthur blinked blankly at the offer. He couldn't think of anything aside from the fact that Cenric probably would have to worry, if the being in the cell had not been a demon. He wanted to slap himself for even having the thought.

"That is… Thank you." He replied, hoping he sounded less than eager. He wasn't conversing simply because he wanted to, he really did not want to. Truly. He was willing to listen only since this could be the opportunity to learn of the demons' weaknesses…

"Magic, as you no doubt know, has two types." It began in much the same manner as a tutor. 

"Natural magic comes from within. Everything in the world has this type of magic. Most humans and animals simply don't have enough of a spark, so to speak. They are unable to wield the magic without the aid of items or beings with overflowing magic. This siphoned magic is known as external magic. Due to the fact that many humans do not have enough magic in them, enchanted items and familiars became a no argument topic."

Huh. That was not in the family grimoire, or any other book Arthur got his hands on. Then again, he didn't really spend as much time in the library. Cenric and his parents had gotten him tutors from a young age, so he would know all there was to learn.

Apparently, they were wrong...

"The strength of a spell or curse depends on the amount of magic used in the casting. Naturally, a caster who draws on larger amounts of magic can cast more powerful versions of spells and curses." The demon suddenly paused in its explanation. "You do know the main difference between a spell and a curse, yes?"

Arthur felt insulted. He heard a faint laughter go off from the entrance of the cave followed by a stern 

"Stop laughing, I want to learn as well!"

Behind him, Arthur heard the shuffling of feet. 

"Yao and Leon probably won't teach us without Viribus' approval, so quiet, Yong!"

" _Diànxià_ , perhaps it would be safer if you went over the basics? At least it would help him recall the information, right?" The one who was not 'Leon' suggested with a tilt of its head, cat ears twitching ever so slightly.

Arthur did not know whether to feel slighted or delighted at the insinuations of the demon.

"Leave them be, Yao. Our liege might just implode if he knew how very wrong his friend's education has been, so far, yes?" 

Honestly, does this demon have no sense of self preservation? Also, who says **_he_** and the winged _**demon**_ are friends?! 

"Go back to your naps, both of you." _Fons_ , er, Feliciano had ordered in a crisp, commanding tone. "Arthur. Do you know?"

The blond Hunter huffed at the question before raising a brow at the brown haired demon.

"Curses are harmful and spells are good for defense and healing."

"Yeah! Go Artie!" 

"Shut it, Yong! You're lucky we get to be this close, now! Imagine if we'd heard Viribus' name?!"

Arthur blinked at the last bit. How far away were they not to hear the introduction? Also, how did they know it's safe to come closer now, if that's the case? _'Safe? Since when was being close to demons ever safe?! Get a grip, Arthur!'_ he thought to himself.

Feliciano had raised his brow in return before clicking his tongue.

_Wait, why am I referring to a demon as anything but an it?_

Before he could analyze his thoughts too much, Arthur heard the demon mutter about "... _incompetent fools_ …" before it went back to explaining in that same, melodious voice as earlier…

Okay, something was definitely going on, if Arthur's mind kept referring to the demon as he would a person or describing the demon with largely positive words…

"Casting spells is easy. All you need are words and magic. Often, they only come at the price of having your magical core depleted. The amount of depletion depends on the strength of the spell. Iit can still be restored through proper rest and sometimes through the help of potions and herbs." 

Feliciano explained slowly, as if it were talking to a child.

 "Curses have a duration. They could last anywhere from a few hours to several lifetimes. The price of inflicting a curse can range from a depletion of the magical core to the death of the caster." 

Arthur was so shocked, he couldn't even think of how the demon must be lying...

"Although both spells and curses have requirements before and during casting, only curses have steps that need to be taken for them to come to an end. Usually, curses are placed to teach a lesson, so doing something that shows you've learned can end the curse. Unfortunately, however, curses have been placed in the name of vengeance." 

Here, Feliciano stopped and took a deep breath. The demon seemed to dislike the topic.

"These are very, very cruel because they could target the victim for lifetimes. Maybe the curse would lead to ages of misery before a brief time of hope. Maybe they would lead to the end of a family line. It all depends on so many factors. Regardless, the curse would only end if certain requirements were fulfilled."


End file.
